


Buttercream and Vanilla

by Kaoru_chibimaster



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Baking, Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21938041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster
Summary: Snowed in, Ignis and Noctis figured they’d do something fun inside for their date night.Well…Ignis was having fun, at least.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30
Collections: Ignoct Secret Santa 2019





	Buttercream and Vanilla

**Author's Note:**

  * For [memoriesofrain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/memoriesofrain/gifts).



> Happy holidays, cakelanguage! I hope you enjoy!

“You know—”

“ _Don’t._ ”

“—I’m fairly certain you were taught how to read. Maybe sixty percent certain now…”

“Specs.”

“Because that’s a skill one generally uses when perusing a cookbook.”

Noctis sighed, more than a little dramatically as his head tilted back and his shoulders drooped, as the whisk slipped out of his hand and clattered to the floor. Ignis had half a mind to do the same, partially to mock his prince and partially because he was just that exasperated.

Honestly.

Noctis wasn’t incompetent. He wasn’t incapable. He picked things up at the snap of a finger when he had the mind and the drive to. His failing was probably his laziness, but Ignis figured he earned the right to take breaks where he could find them. He was constantly busy, even after having graduated high school, so it was no wonder he relished in his lazy moments when he could.

But this?

Good Astrals, _this_?

What would his ancestors think when they learned that the future of Lucis was defeated by mere cake batter?

“Noct, if you—”

“It’d be really nice if you’d just leave this alone, Specs.”

“—would let me finish… Is it really that difficult to bake a cake?”

“Yes.”

“I mean, truly? Honestly? Has the fearsome villainous cake batter truly bested our future king?”

This earned Ignis a particularly sour look that he had to fight hard not to crack a grin at. It wasn’t as if he’d forced Noctis into this. He’d simply asked him if he wanted to do something fun and relaxing indoors, since the snowstorm currently hitting Insomnia ruined any outdoor plans they might have had. It was cozy and sweet, and it rewarded them with a warm, tasty snack. Therefore Ignis saw no downsides to it.

Apparently Noctis expected Ignis to do all of that by himself.

What nonsense. Who went on a date with themselves?

“You signed up for this,” he grinned. Noctis, despite his grumbling, did pick the whisk back up and rinse it off, leaving a tiny puddle of batter on the floor that Ignis was mildly certain someone was going to slip on if no one cleaned it up. He gathered a few paper towels and handed them to Noct, not quite keen on mothering him.

Noctis wiped the spatters of vanilla batter and buttercream frosting off of his face instead.

“I didn’t exactly sign up to help,” he huffed and puffed. Still, he picked the bowl back up and continued whisking.

“What, you wanted me to do all the work? Well that’s no fun.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re just having fun making fun of me,” Noctis rolled his eyes. He took a moment to point the whisk at Ignis, sending more spatters of batter on the floor and flecking Ignis’ face with it. “And anyway, I do know how to read, you jerk. I did exactly what the damn book said.”

Grinning wider, Ignis wiped a bit of batter off and booped Noct’s nose with it playfully, chuckling when it wrinkled with annoyance.

“I’m fairly positive the cookbook didn’t suggest that you fold the entire egg, shell and all, into the batter.”

“It was an _accident_!”

Right. If he said so…

It wasn’t worth getting upset over. Sure, all of Ignis’ very atoms trembled at the travesty that was Noctis’ inability to crack an egg, let alone do anything else right in the kitchen, but this was supposed to be fun.

And Ignis was having maybe a little too much fun watching Noctis fumble.

He loved his prince dearly, but really. Baking a cake was not this difficult.

“Well then? Go on. What do you do next?” Preferably, Noct would stop whisking the batter before it ended up turning out a chewy brick for a cake.

He, of course, kept whisking absentmindedly as he read from the book, and Ignis tried very hard not to wince. That poor cake was already taking a beating and it hadn’t even made it to the pan, let alone the oven.

“Let’s see,” Noctis mumbled. “I added all the ingredients, mixed everything up, pre-heated the oven…”

“Time to put it in the pan, I would say,” Ignis offered, eyeing the overmixed bowl with mild apprehension. However fun the making of it was, the final product was likely to find a one-way ticket to the trash bin between Noct’s picky eating and Ignis’ distaste for possible food poisoning.

No matter. He’d bake something more worthwhile afterwards.

“Right. Er…do I need the gloves on before I—”

“Noct…” This was the same prince that spent his afternoons swinging sharp weapons around. “You can just use your hands to put it in the oven. The pan isn’t hot yet.”

Making a face at the mild snark in Ignis’ voice, Noctis poured the contents of the bowl into the cake pan (enough for one, of course; neither of them expected Noctis to make more than that) and placed it into the oven. Once in, he pretended to dust his hands off as a sigh of satisfaction escaped him. He looked quite accomplished for having whisked cake batter for too long before sticking one pan in the oven.

It was, admittedly, incredibly adorable. Ignis found himself smiling softly at the image.

“Well done, Noct. You’ve successfully made a cake.” Somewhat.

“Of course,” Noctis smirked with a cocky tone. “You expected anything less?”

“Oh, I expected you to set at least one thing on fire, but we’re still alive so I supposed you’ve done a more than passable job.”

Ignis couldn’t quite help laughing when Noctis sputtered, turning a deep frown on him at his quip. It wasn’t very intimidating. Noctis struck too cute a picture, covered in flour and speckled in batter, his hair unkempt and un-styled so that it framed his face in a soft, black halo, clothed in baggy casuals and a pair of black socks with moogles on the ankles that he insisted he was wearing ironically, and still cradling a bowl that Ignis was fairly certain he was planning to lick batter out of.

The kitchen was a mess, the cake was a sham and the prince was pouting, but Ignis could only find the whole thing endearing. It wasn’t often he got to relax and just have fun with Noct. So bogged down with crownsguard matters and council matters and college matters, Ignis barely had time for basic needs. He’d learned to make that time for his prince, though. It was something they _both_ needed.

Beyond the chore that was cooking, baking was a bit too much work and a bit too much mess for a result that wouldn’t last very long in an apartment that housed Lucis’ biggest sweet-tooth, but it was time he got to spend with Noct doing something that didn’t involve work and royal duties. They could just be themselves. Ignis was thankful for that opportunity alone.

And the delightful image of a pouting Noct covered in cake mixture was more than worth the time and effort. He’d take a picture if he knew it wouldn’t end in Noct trying to warp at him in an attempt to grab his phone. That would just make a bigger mess.

“How would I even set anything on fire?” Noct grumbled, setting his bowl and whisk in the sink. “I think I did a damn good job making that cake.”

Chuckling, Ignis nodded along in hopes of appeasing him.

“You’re right. I should give you credit where credit is due: it’s unlikely that you could’ve set something on fire under these circumstances.”

He earned himself a stuck-out tongue and an extended middle finger for that one, but it only made him laugh more.

“Hardy har. Let’s see if you would’ve done better the first time _you_ made a cake.” Ignis had. But he also knew how to follow instructions. “And anyway, I don’t think you’re—whoa!” There it was. That forgotten puddle of batter came back with a vengeance.

It was pure instinct driving Ignis when he practically hurdled himself across the distance between him and Noct and caught the tumbling prince. The crownsguard training kicked in smoothly, guiding his hands and feet so as to ensure Noct’s safety without slipping on the smudge himself.

It was less instinct and more Ignis when he pressed a kiss to Noct’s forehead and let out an amused:

“Careful, or you’ll end up all battered.”

“I should kick you out for that.”

“Without thanking me for catching you?” Ignis shook his head and tutted. “It was a piece of cake, after all.”

“Nope! Get out!”

“You won’t have me, Highness? I must say, I don’t think I _dessert_ this sort of treatment…”

“That one was even worse, oh my gods Specs.”

Despite his complaints, Noctis was smiling now. Chuckling along with Ignis’ myriad of bad puns. He kissed that smile too, licking his lips when they tasted of sugar…confirming why there was a finger-sized scoop missing from the frosting. And why it’d been on Noctis’ face when the frosting didn’t spatter as it was whisked.

“At least try to leave some frosting for the cake, would you?” Ignis grinning, shaking his head as he righted Noctis. This time Noct grabbed his own paper towel and finally wiped the smudge up himself.

“Specs, you’re not trying to tell me we’re actually gonna eat that thing, are you? I’m pretty sure there’re still eggshells in it.”

By the Six, of course not.

At least he realized that himself.

“How about I make us a nice cake and you can order out for dinner this time?” That’d keep him happy. He’d probably order something without vegetables and Ignis would bemoan his terrible eating habits, but this was their date night so he’d at least appreciate the break and not make a fuss.

Noctis, having caught on rather quickly, narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips at Ignis.

“You trying to tell me you think my cake is shit too? Which means I made one for nothing?”

Those were the sort of questions there was no right answer to, not without Noctis finding some way to kick up a fuss, and so Ignis went for the next best option and pressed another kiss to those perfectly kissable lips before pulling away.

And ignoring those questions entirely.

“How does pizza sound tonight?”

“Specs…”

“You can even order the meat lovers if you wish.”

“Why’d you make me make this cake, Specs.”

“Oh and of course we’ll have to spend the rest of the night cuddling on the couch. I might even make us some hot chocolate.”

“You seriously want the pizza man to drive in a snowstorm?”

“We’ll tip him generously. Clean yourself up and just relax a bit, Noct. Besides, you can’t say you weren’t enjoying yourself. You whisked that poor cake batter to Hell and back.”

Sighing, Noctis trudged towards his bedroom, only pausing to look back at Ignis with a sheepish expression.

“I guess…it was a little fun…” he admitted quietly.

“See?” Ignis grinned. “I knew you’d enjoy it.”

“But I expect an entire night’s worth of cuddles in return. And that pizza!” he huffed before stomping all the way into his bedroom and the joined bathroom to clean up.

Smiling, Ignis settled himself onto the couch and pulled up the nearest delivery place on his phone. If cuddles and pizza were all Noctis required of him that night, then he was more than happy to give.

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked that cooking together prompt, but I wasn’t getting anywhere with the meal part. I thought baking together would still fit in that category, and it would still have that cozy, wintery feel to it.


End file.
